Mayhem - 1
Darkthrone - 0

No contest. The drumming on "Buried by Time and Dust" alone wins it for me.

That Mayhem album is one of the best I have heard, and while I respect that Darkthrone album, their one and only straight up Death Metal album, it doesn't live up to Mayhem.

Now had "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" been nominated instead I would have to put more thought into it.

The first Darkthrone album is good, but not even close to the level of Mayhem on that album.

Mayhem

this album gets my pulse racing - i feel like driving at insane speeds everytime i put it on, regardless of whether i might meet with an accident, so farkin' A, and this was recorded slightly before Grishnakh killed Euronymous, so it's evil enough for me

Darkthrone

though a benchmark in the genre, it doesn't have the electronic experimentation of later albums, and even on Hate Them, they could get up to interesting stuff, like sneaking in rock n roll riffs

Mayhem - 2
Darkthrone - 0

Pretty easy for me. The Mayhem album is enjoyable, but sort of laughable. The vocals are goofy, though they work if you unplug your brain a little bit, the music is often one dimensional, though there are moments of brilliance ("Freezing Moon" FTW!), and the overall feel is ametuerish, with only hints of the heights that black metal would soon reach.

I'm only moderatley familiar with the Darkthrone album, but enough to know I like it better than the Mayhem album. I find it's combination of death metal and early black metal to be fascinating. It has the meat of a death metal album, but without the feeling of sonic abandon of other early death metal. It's a more cerebral and atmospheric album than one would expect from a (then) death metal band.

Mayhem - 2
Darkthrone - 1

Personally I think Norway would have been better off to leave Death Metal to Sweden.

that Darkthrone album.. at the time it came out Death Metal was already being established in Sweden, the year before saw the release of "Left Hand Path" by Entombed, which was very impactful. Not to mention the same year "Soulside Journey" came out, Dismember had released the essential album for Swedish Death Metal "Like an Ever Flowing Stream"... Sweden then was a great scene for Death Metal, Norway never even crossed my mind for that... If "Soulside Journey" is the best Norway has to offer for Death Metal after I had been familiar with those 2 albums that had come out of Sweden.. They are not that great at it and am glad they became a hot bed for Black Metal... which is why I said I would have a tougher time deciding between Mayhem and Darkthrone had Il Duce chosen "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" instead. That album is more of a blend between Black Metal and Death Metal.. it was the sudden change to Black Metal, but still retained traits from Death Metal, which would be lost on Darkthrones next album "Under a Funeral Moon". Between those 2 choices, Mayhem would have been out in a second.

But for what Mayhem was in the world of Black Metal, it was incredibe. Not my very favorite I have listened to, which so far has been "A Blaze in the Northern Sky", but it is still on my list of favorites.

"Soulside Journey" to me, while interesting to hear a band play a style of music not typically associated with their country is cool, it still to me feels like a clone of something better that had already been established, didn't further the style in any direction and just falls flat, production is kinda weak and the songs all just kind of gel.

That Mayhem album though is essential, and really pushed a style ahead as well. The production works well, the songs have ambience and an atmosphere, everything about it is amazing, and it just all works and feels very unique. "Soulside Journey" though as I said above sounds like a clone.

So in terms of impact, Mayhem wins it.. but as I say only because of the Darkthrone album in question, not discography as a whole.

This alone wins it for Mayhem in my mind


Man, the drumming is insane, the production is great for the style... everything about this just wows me everytime.

Going from that, to this...


yeah.... let's listen to that first one again !... Dismember did that better anyways.

One thing I will add on De Mysteriis DOM Satanhas though. I think it is also more about the conditions behind the album and the story behind it that is more a selling point. Screw "Some Kind of Monster" with Metallica, imagine seeing a documentary on that Mayhem album, would make "Some Kind of Monster" look like an episode of "Glee".

That is what makes "De Mysteriis DOM Satanhas" more of an experience.

Yeah, but that's why I've always been more of a fan of Mayhem as a band than Mayhem's actual music. Musically...they just kind of seem like the Insane Clown Posse of black metal. All bluster and silliness, without much really going on.

I think the ICP of BM is Immortal personally. But "Pure Holcaust" is a cool album.

Except Immortal have/had some kickass riffs. Being a black metal Iron Maiden might have been a bit of a cop out, but it was still a pretty good idea.

your status is too obvious. The click over link shows a youtube link.

Should use this instead: http://tinyurl.com/2eah76e

Don`t know these two albums YET, but its rare that two metal enthusiasts (Bastard & Batlord) have completely different views about both albums. I`m now very intrigued to listen to both based on your above comments.

Darkthrone is my favorite straight forward Norway-type bm band. I respect Mayhem, but do not enjoy their music.

Darkthrone - 2
Mayhem - 2

Yeah, but that Darkthrone album is not straight up Norway Black Metal. It is straight up try hard Swedish Death Metal by a band who is from Norway.

I still like it more. I respect and admire that Mayhem album, but I'm not a fan of it musically.

Blaze in the Northern Sky and Transylvanian Hunger crush them both imo.

Well, it's not that I hate the Mayhem, album. I own it and was listening to it just last night and digging it. I just have a problem taking it entirely seriously. It's sorta like the old black and white Dracula with Bela Lugosi. It has this wierd unpolished sorta creepiness, but the, at times, cheesy atmosphere, rubber bats on strings, and Bela Lugosi's outrageous accent (yes I know it's a real accent, but it's still outrageous), while adding to the overall atmosphere of the movie, also make it laughable today. So, to sum it up, the same elements that make De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas creepy and wierd and disturbing, also undermine my ability to supend my disbelief.

Give me a break. It's my first RickRoll. Spank you very hard for the tip though.

Moderator cut: image removed

still like this

Ok have listened to both and the Darkthrone album is a solid album but as said comes across as an attempt to cash in on the Swedish scene, I`d actually rather listen to Entombed, Unleashed, Grave and Dismember if I want that sound. The Mayhem album again is good but not a classic and as Batlord has said, it has a horror B-movie 1930s/1940s low budget feel. On a music level I`d say the Darkthrone album was better but as a huge Universal horror movie fan (I have the box set with the models of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jnr) I have to give it to Mayhem for the feel of the album. Also how many albums are surrounded with both a murder and a suicide.

Darkthrone 2
Mayhem 3

Have been listening to some more of Darkthrone`s discography and their second album A Blaze in the Northern Sky is an ok album, its basically still a death metal band doing black metal. But the album Under a Funeral Moon is the biz and easily one of the best black metal albums I`ve heard (admittedly I haven`t heard that many) Just listened to Transilvanian Hunger and its evil, but I`m still undecided if it reaches the heights of Under a Funeral Moon.

I've still not been able to really get into Darkthrone. A Blaze In the Northern Sky and Trannsylvanian Hunger are cool, but not in a way that's really wowed me. Soulside Journey is actually my fav so far. My love for it has been tempered by Dismember and Entombed, but it's still got an evilness that totally works for me. I've not listened to Under a Funeral Moon yet, but I'll have to give it a listen after I'm done listening to some Alanis Morissette. That may be a while though. Alanis > Darkthrone

lol @ Alanis.

I do not know, but I imagine Darkthrone can at least define irony.

Ouch. That's pretty harsh man. :laughing:

I assure you, that is not an insult. I love her. She brings you into her world, and you don't want to leave.

I like Alanis, I mean I wouldn't go out and buy any of her albums, but I wouldn't turn them off if they were on.

"Uninvited" is a great song.

My image of both of you is completely blown. :laughing:

i think they're just being ironic

like, ya know, the guy who received a death row pardon 2 minutes too late

I only like a few songs, Uninvited being one. But I would not put her as best for her style, Fiona Apple blows her away.

Mayhem win that battle 3:2. Next up are these two sludge metal albums courtesy of Mondo Bungle. Again take a few words explaining your choice.

If you were testing me, you could've picked a song that wasn't her most popular song ever.

Fiona Apple definitely rules, but Alanis pwns her.

Acid Bath 1
Eyehategod 0

I love EHG, but WTKSP is one of my all time favorite albums, and unbeatable (to me) in the sludge area. Classic.

Acid Bath. WTKSP is a fantastic. I don't care that much for EHG.

Welcome to Metal Wars:D

The voting should now be:

Acid Bath 2
Eyehategod 0

^^US, can you put up the poll until Monday?

I just got both and only heard half of the Eyehategod

they are on the office server and i didn't transfer them to my netbook to listen to at home

Sure this will stay up til Monday:D

^^cheers, bud

EHG are pretty sweet, but their riffs aren't the best, and with this kinda music your riffs have to be on point. Acid Bath definitely took it for me.

Acid Bath - 3
Eyehategod - 0

The EHG album is solid and has a real feel about it and its one of the best sludge metal albums from the New Orleans scene and along with Odd Fellows Rest by Crowbar one of the scenes best albums. But Acid Bath are something else......the albums When the Kite String Pops and Paegen Terrorism Tactics are two of the defining moments of 90s metal and two of the best sludge metal albums ever recorded. The group talent wise were right up there with the Melvins and the only other sludge band that I`d put in the same league as Acid Bath are Kylesa, even though Kylesa mix in a lot of stoner and psychedelic elements.

Acid Bath 4
Eyehategod 0

You know, Crowbar are one of those bands that everyone talks about, but I just can't get into them. For one or two songs, they're cool, but after ten minutes or so, the vocals just start to numb my brain and I just have to listen to something else. I can see why the guy from Crowbar collaborated with Jamey Jasta. They both have exactly the same boring, repetitive approach to vocals.

Thats why Crowbar only have one stand out album and in general I find them repetitive as well, but on Odd Fellows Rest they got it right over a complete album. If you want more diversity or accessibility in your sludge metal you really need to go with Corrosion of Conformity (they`re also a favourite band of mine)

Quite right. Hardcore. Crossover. Sludge. They sorta pwn it all.

ok have heard both

Take as Needed for Pain

this sounds really slack, by slack I mean it sounds like 4 drunk guys sloppily jamming in the studio without putting any thought in craftmanship of the riffs and melodies

When The Kite String Pops

now this more like it - well-thought out riffs and melodies, Sabbath-esque but having enough of an identity to distinguish itself from that. and when they do Alice in Chains-style balladry, it works

so:-

Acid Bath - 5
Eyehategod - 0